PRIVATE G. OAK, 2ND BATTALION DUKE OF CORNWALL'S LIGHT INFANTRY, LATE HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. Queen's South Africa Medal, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: 2642 PTE. G. OAK, 2ND. D. OF C. LT. INFY.). Attractive old dart tone, Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine.
Medal accompanied by 5 pages copied service papers, extract 1881 and 1901 census returns, extract lunacy patients' admissions register for 1909. and extract QSA Medal roll confirming medal and clasp.
George Oak was born in Portsmouth in 1869, and is recorded in the 1881 census as a 12 year old schoolboy living in Amport Street, Portsmouth, with his 36 year old widowed mother and a sister. He enlisted into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Bodmin on 29/31888. At the time of enlistment he was 19 years old, gave his trade as carpenter and place of birth as Portsmouth, and stated that he was then serving with the Hampshire Regiment. George Oak is recorded in the 1901 census as a 33 year old Private resident in Colchester Barracks with his wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters. Oak never rose above the rank of Private and was discharged on 22/4/1907. Apart from 152 days service in South Africa, 5/11/1899 to 4/4/1900, Oak saw service exclusively at home. Lunacy Patient's Admission Register records Oak as having been admitted to the Hampshire Asylum on 12/3/1909, is date of death recorded in the register being 25/12/1914.
